Freedom Debt Relief Review (Updated for 2017)

Freedom Debt Relief is considered one of the leading debt relief companies in the industry. This company was founded by Stanford Business School Graduates Bradford Stroh and Andrew Housser, in 2002. This company claims it can help consumers resolve and settle unsecured debts through their debt management program, in as little as two to four years. For many, this is a more viable option than filing for bankruptcy. This company also claims they have helped their clients resolve more than two billion dollars in debt since the company started. If this claim is accurate, then they’ve actually helped to clear more debt than any other debt management company in the country.

This is a company that has plenty of positive consumer feedback. Their success rate speaks for itself, as does their ability to create custom debt management programs, which is a huge plus for consumers. While many of these debt management companies tend to blend together, Freedom Debt Relief is one that stands at the top of their class.

How Does Freedom Debt Relief Work?

For many consumers who are heavily in debt, between insurance and taxes, a huge chunk is taken out of every paycheck before it even enters their bank account. In addition to this, the incredibly high interest rates that are often associated with credit card debt or even medical bill debt, can make most people feel like their attempts to climb out of debt is pretty futile.

But Freedom Debt Relief is designed to help consumers finally achieve financial independence from a constant payment cycle that seems hopeless. Their debt specialists will help to settle your debt for less than you owe, however, these negotiations can take as little as a couple of weeks and as long as six months.

But How Can This Company Help?

If you’re struggling to make the minimum monthly payments on your credit cards, medical bills, or even accounts that are already in collections, this company can help to reduce the amount you owe and resolve all of your debt in just two to four years through lower monthly payments. In order to accomplish this, Freedom Debt Relief has come up with a five-step system they call the Fresh Start Program.

Here’s how the Fresh Start Program works:

• The first step is speaking with a debt specialist. The debt specialist will evaluate your debt and recommend an option that’s right for you, based on their findings.

• If their debt management program is a good fit for you and your financial situation, they’ll customize a debt program designed to meet your specific goals and needs. Depending on how much money you’re able to set aside every month, the debt specialist will be able to determine how long it will take you to get out of debt.

• Once your program is in place, you’ll be required to start depositing funds every month into an FDIC insured savings account. You’ll have total control of this account the entire time. The money in this account will be put towards your debt. During this time you’ll be asked to stop using all of your credit cards in order to avoid sinking further in debt.

• Once the money begins to accumulate in your account, Freedom Debt Relief will begin contacting debtors in order to negotiate a settlement.

• After all of the debt has been paid off, this program will be complete.

Qualifications

This program is best suited for people with serious debt problems who are not able to maintain their current monthly payment obligations and are on the brink of bankruptcy.

Keep in mind that this company can only work with unsecured debt such as medical bills and credit card debt.

An ideal candidate must be at least $7,500 in debt.

Accreditations

Freedom Debt Relief is accredited by the IAPDA, and the AFCC, which means that this company abides by the best ethics and practices in the industry.

Pricing

Each person who decides to enroll in a debt relief program will receive a customized plan that’s designed to work with their budget. The goal of the company is to help their clients to become debt free in two to three years. This is actually the standard time frame for most reputable debt relief companies.

When it comes to pricing, this company charges a service fee of fifteen to twenty-five percent, which is pretty decent compared to their competition.

Refund Policy

This company ensures their service with a money back guarantee in order to ease any concerns their clients may have regarding the quality of service.

Contacting Freedom Debt Relief

Freedom Debt Relief is located at 1875 South Grant St, Suite 400, San Mateo, Ca 94402.

You can contact this company directly on their website, via email, or you can call them Monday through Friday from 5 am to 830 pm at 1.800.544.7211.

Pros

For some, the length of the program is too long, but we can ensure you that this is the standard amount of time. The length of the program will heavily depend on how much money you’re able to put aside and your level of debt. This company has a higher success rate than competing companies when it comes to helping their clients resolve their debt. The program offers excellent customer support. Clients will be in constant contact with their debt specialists in regards to the progress of the program.

This program also claims that if the debt specialist feels that this program is not the right fit for you, they will recommend another reputable company that can help you to manage your debt.

Cons

This company doesn’t operate in every state and instead is only available in thirty-eight states. The states this company does not offer its services to include WA, OR, SC, IL, WV, RI, NJ, NH, ME, GA, CT, and VT. We recommend contacting this company to ensure they currently operate in your state, prior to contacting them for a consultation.

Potential clients cannot sign up unless they plan to settle a minimum of fifteen thousand dollars in unsecured debt.

For some, the price is too steep. Enrolling in Freedom’s debt relief program can end up costing clients twenty-five percent of the total debt they enrolled with. While this can end up being as low as fifteen percent, it concerns some consumers that the price is simply too high.

During the time you work with this company, it can potentially have a negative impact on your credit scores, considering you’ll be advised to stop making all payments on any existing debt until a settlement has been reached. This can result in some accounts being sent to collections, or may even involve a lawsuit.

Conclusion

Freedom Debt Relief has a high level of client satisfaction and a reputation for successful debt resolution and professional conduct. This company has fifteen years of experience settling unsecured debt. Our only concern is that consumers on a tight budget may struggle to meet their higher service costs. Ultimately, with their success rate and reputation in mind, you really can’t go wrong with Freedom Debt Relief if you want a tailor made debt management plan that allows you to climb out of debt in as little as two years.